Picking Up the Pieces

 That is the title of Judy Pfaff's exhibit currently at the Sarasota Art Museum. As a mixed media artist, Judy Pfaff works with found objects and has the skill sets to deal with the, including carpentry and welding. Florida is the focus of her exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum. It includes a huge installation created from detritus collected after the 2022 hurricane. I thought of the first gallery, shown here, as the "Before" gallery, full of the joy and color of modern tropical life. The aftermath of the hurricane is evident in the second gallery.  With a small forest of patio umbrella skeletons and rusted chairs overhead, it's starkly beautiful, reflecting the effect that humans have on the environment. I will never look at paper packing materials, plastic glasses or backyard furniture in the same way, ever again.